Swivel joint



Aug. 17, 1954 w. P. OEHLER 2,686,636 SWIVEL JOINT Original Filed Sept. 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM P. OEH LER Patented Aug. 17, 1954 SWIVEL JOINT William P.:'0ehler, Moline; Ill., assignor to Deere &Company, Moline, Ill., a'corporation-of 111i- -nois Original application Se ptember 4, 1947, Serial Divided and this application March 11, 1949, Serial No. 80,936

This application is a division of my co pending application (ll-1937), Serial No. 772,069,, filed September 4, 1947, for Disk Harrow, "Patent No. 2,644 388. i i The present invention relatesgenerallyto disk harrows andmore particularly to the disk gang units of such implements and the bearing constructions incorporated in or associated with the disk gangs. i i

The object and generalnature of the present invention is the provision ofanew and improved bearing construction for the disk gangs of disk harrows and the lik particularly a disk gang bearing wherein means is provided for pivotally connecting the bearing with an associated frame andnew and improved bearing clamping means whereby th two portions of the bearing, which is usually of split construction, areheld together withoutdanger oi loosening in operation, while accommodating pivotal action between the disk gang and the frameuto which it is connected. Specifically, the present'invention is directed to the provision of new and improved means for connecting the main frame of the disk harrow to the frame-receiving yoke of the hearing so as to accommodate, in addition to theaforesaid pivotal movement, pivotal movement of the gang in a horizontal direction relative to the main 'frame. Stillfurthendt is a feature of this invention to provide new and improved-means for holding th main frame in operative connection with the associatedbearing yoke accommodating the aforesaid pivoting; action.

.These and other objects and advantages of the'present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in whichz Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a disk narrow in which the principlesof the present invention have beenincorporated.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view showing mywnew and improved bearing construction and frame connection.

liigure 3 isa sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side view of another formof bear- 6 ing construction in which th principles of the present invention have beenincorporated.

:Figure 5 is a sectionaltview taken generally along theline5--5 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 isa sectional view taken generally along the lined- 6 oi Figurefi.

Referring =now-to the drawings; the disk harrow in' which-the'principles of the-present*inven- 2 onims. (01. 287-91) tion have been incorporated is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral land is preferably of the type of implement ''shown in the United States Patent 2,339,124, issued January 11, 1944 to Charles H. White to which reference may be had if necessary. Briefly, the disk harrow comprises a pair of front diskgangs and apair ofrear disk gangs, each gang including its own gang frame and each gang being pivot-ally connected at its inner ends to-a framestandard forming a part of amain frame. The-frame of th harrow is indicatedin its entirety by the reference numeral *2 and is generally ofapproxn mately rectangular construct-ion having at "each corner thereof a depending frame standard *3. Each of thegang frames is indicated in --its*-entirety by the referencenumeral 5 and comprises a framework made up preferably-ofan-angle member or members,- andateaclr end each-gang frame 5 has a pair-of-ga1-1g frame standards extending generally *downwardly in converging relationand terminating at their lower ends in approximately parallel flattened-sections 9 having vertically spaced bolt-receiving openings NJ. Each disk gangincludes, inaddition tothe frame 5 and associated parts described above, a-plurality ofdisks 15 mounted on a gangboltit and held in spaced -apart relati'on by a plurality of spools i7 disposed between adjacent disks. Theihead of the gang bolt 46 -isnermally-disposed at the outer end of each gang-and atits inner end th gang boltis threaded to receive a nut member 18. At each en'd-of each of the disk gangs the bearing spool, indicated at Ha, serves as a journal member to -receive an associated bearing construction, indicated in its entirety by the reference numera1-2-il. Thebearing constructions at the inner and outer ends of each gang-are substantially identicalyexceptthat th inner bearing construction provides for pivotal connectionof the associated main frame standard- 3 thereto, and is i disclosed and claimed in my parent application mentioned above. Hence, only a brief descriptionof the gangbearing will suflice.

Each laterally inner bearing comprises 'abearing sleeve made up of a pair of mating 'bearing sections-23 adapted to embrace 'and have'bearin-g engagement with the-outer-surface of the associated gang journal member l-la. Centrally, each of the bearing sleev sections 23is formed with apertured bolt-receiving" extensions "26 and -2l,"the apertures in-each beingindicatedby the reference numeral "28. *Aip'airof "clampin'gi' bo'lts 3| and 32 are "inserted thT0ugh"the "registering openings 28 for the purpose of clamping the two halves 23 of the bearing sleeve together so as to form a complete bearing, encircling the associated journal member Ila. The bolts 3| and 32 also extend through the openings [9 in the lower portions of the associated gang frame standards 8, the flattened sections 9 of said standards lying substantially'flat against the end portions of the extensions 26 and 21 on the bearing sleeve sections and are held rigidly thereagainst by tightening the nuts on the bolts 3| and 32.

A yoke member as is mounted on each inner bearing construction and preferably comprises a pair of mating yoke sections 4| and 42, the lower portions of which are apertured, as at 43, and offset laterally so that when the parts are assembled the yoke member 40 includes a lower bifurcated portion that is adapted to embrace the upper part of the associated bearing sleeve. The apertures $3 in the lower laterally offset portions of th yoke sections ll and 42 are adapted to be rockably mounted on the associated bosses 29 formed on the two halves of the bearing sleeve 23, 23.

lhe upper portions and 52 of the yoke sections 4| and M are generally semi-cylindrical so that when the parts are assembled on the associated bearing an upwardly extending, generally vertically disposed frame standard-receiving socket s is provided. Each yoke section M and A2, is provided with a pair of laterally disposed apertured ears 54 and 55 to receive a pair of clamping bolts 56 which hold the two halves of the yoke member 49 together. In one form of the present invention the lower end 8| of the associated frame standard 3 is reduced, as indicated by the reference numeral 56, and provided with a through aperture Bl, thereby providing a downwardly facing shouldered section 58 which rests against a corresponding shouldered portion 59 formed on the lower portions of the yoke sections Al and 42, at the lower end of the socket s. An opening 6i receives the extension 56, and the latter extends downwardly through the opening ti into the open portion of the yoke which lies above the upper parts of the bearing sections 23 and between the two laterally offset portions of the yoke, as best shown in Figure 2. A cotter key or other pin, as indicated at 62, is inserted through the hole 51 and when in place serves to retain the frame standard 3 in place in the associated socket s, fitting snugly within the latter but with sufficient freedom to permit the associated'disk gang to swing about a generally vertical axis relative to the main frame, the pin 62 swinging around in the above mentioned open portion of the yoke ill. The disk gang is also capable of swinging about a generally horizontal axis, as defined by the bosses 29, relative to the main frame 2.

A modified form of connection between the main frame and the inner bearing construction is shown in Figure 4. Referring now to this figure, it will be seen that the lower end 82 of the frame extension or standard 3a is without any in the frame extension or standard 3a. In this form of the invention each of the yoke sections is provided with a boss 83 having a radial pinreceiving opening 89 and transverse openings 9| intersecting the opening 89. When the frame in this form of the invention is to be assembled onto the associated yok members, each extension 3a is seated in the associated socket S. A pin 93, which may have tapered ends 94, is inserted through one of the yoke section openings 89 and with a small pin, punch or the like, pushed into the frame extension opening 85 to such position that the ends 94 are free to move around in the open portion or annular groove 85. Acotter pin or other suitable element 96 is then inserted in the openings 9| in each yoke member. As best shown in Figure 6, these two cotters prevent either end of the pin 93 from entering either of the yoke openings 89. Thus, the yoke member 84 is free to turn on the lower end of the frame extension 3a about a generally vertical axis without interference, yet when it is desired to disassemble th parts, it is a simple matter to take out both of the cotters 96, turn the yoke relative to the frame member 3a so as to have th pin 93 register with the openings 89, and then with a suitable tool remove the pin 93 from the opening 86 in the frame standard 3a, whereupon the latter may be removed from the socket S in the yoke member. Like the yoke member 40 described above, the yoke member 86 is formd as two mating sections 9'3 and 98, the lower portions of which pivotally receive the two associated mating bearing sections mi and While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been employed, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the exact details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. For use with a disk horrow or the like, the combination of a main frame having a generally downwardly extending standard formed with a transverse opening through the, lower end portion thereof, a yoke member having an upwardly facing socket portion receiving said standard and having a lower shouldered portion against which the lower portion of said standard has bearing support, said yoke member having an annular groove formed in the lower portions of said socket portion, a transverse pin detachably carried in the transverse opening in the lower end portion of said standard, said pin having a length such that the end of said pin moves around in said groove when said standard is rotated in said socket portion, there being a pair of oppositely disposed transverse openings at each side of said socket portion, said latter openings intersecting said annular groove in substantially tangential relation with respect to the bottom of the groove, and retaining pin means disposed in said transverse openings with the inner portions of said pins lying in tangential relationship. with respect to the bottom of the groove and thereby in a position to contact the ends of said transverse pin for holding the ends of the latter in said groove during rotation of the standard relative to said socket portion.

2. For use with a disk harrow or the like of the type including a main frame having a generally downwardly extending standard, and a bearing-receiving yok having an upwardly extending socket portion receiving said main frame standard, the improvement comprising an annular groove formed in said socket portion and a pair of oppositely disposed holes leading from the exterior into said groove, and an opening formed in said frame standard, a pin insertable through one of the openings in said socket portion into the opening in said frame standard, said pin being located in said opening and having its ends movable in said groove, transversely apertured sections on the yoke on opposite sides of each of said holes, and pin-holding means disposed in said apertured sections for holding said pin in the opening in said standard, said apertured sections being so constructed and ar- 6 ranged whereby each of said pin-holding means lies substantially tangent to the radially outer portions of said annular groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 824,526 Coffin June 26, 1906 1,006,316 Turner et a1. Oct. 17, 1911 1,157,080 Bucknam Oct. 19, 1915 1,176,662 Dickinson Mar. 21, 1916 1,234,986 Weileder July 31, 1917 1,442,223 Knebusch Jan. 16, 1923 1,805,392 Douds May 12, 1931 2,394,276 Venditty Feb. 5, 1946 

